Sustainability: business, life, environment

“Most businesspeople are so busy working for their business or in their business that they never find time to work on their business. Thus they fail to anticipate what might happen or what they might be able to make happen”. –The Fast East the Slow


As a professional consultant, I've witnessed too often business models and strategies that have become stagnate with companies failing to take proactive or immediate action.  Soon a once thriving business becomes out of touch with the consumer.  In my professional consulting, I have learned that one of the keys to business sustainability is a conscious and continuous effort for improvement. 

There is value in regularly scheduling time to work on the business and answer critical questions affecting the business and its stakeholders.  Start by asking your current business model a few questions:

1.    What are the current and future dynamics of the market: how are consumers responding to sustainable offerings in the current economic environment, how will consumer behavior change?
2.    What new market sectors are driving consumer behaviors for sustainable brands?
3.    What sustainability differentiation do I have from the competition: demonstrations, measurements, labels or certifications?
4.    How can I most efficiently and economically communicate my sustainable offerings using technologies such as social media?
5.    Who are my business sustainability stakeholders and how do I engage them to create alignment across the organization?
6.    How can I tweak my current business sustainability strategy to successfully balance short and long term company goals with the values of my stakeholders?
7.    How can I partner to create shared value to drive deeper, faster, more impactful solutions?
8.    What is most likely on the horizon for me and what are the best actions to proactively respond?

By anticipating and taking proactive steps to address change in the business world, your business will not only capture immediate value but define itself as a business sustainability leader in its industry.